Daily Buffet » anxiety

The Importance of Keys

Jason — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:29:16 +0000

I know it’s a Monday. Not only is it a Monday, but it’s a Monday with a full moon. How do I know this you say. Well, let me recount the ways.

After a surprisingly non eventful start to the day, Amy and the boys went off to work. Following suit, I prepared my self for a day at the ol’ milestone, feed the cats, loading my bags for the post-work activities into my truck and reached in my pocket for my keys.

Except they were not there. Nor were they on the nightstand, of the kitchen counter, or my desk. no, they were in Amy’s purse – that was in Amy’s classroom at Amy’s school.

Not only that, but remember last week when I had no power ( yes Ben, I had no POWER!!!, and it went out again last night!!!! – I think I have moved to a third world country). Anyway, remember last week, when I had no power, and no laptop. You do! great, because the laptop problem has returned.

So, here I sit, at home, with a laptop complaining about a hard drive it can’t read, and two , count them two cars in the garage which I cannot start, because I have no keys.

Well, actually, I do have one key – I have a key to the car Amy drove to work today.

Oh, it’s Monday!!!

So, what does this have to do about anything, apart from my complaining? Well, I think it shows how important something foundational or something essential is to the whole works. Without a key those vehicles are just big hunks of steel. Although they are completely functional, they are missing the one element that keeps them going. It sort of reminds me of these words from John 15:5, which we will put in Red letters

⁵“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5New International Version (NIV)

The Christ himself says that he is really the key to you running properly, otherwise, you are just sitting in the garage!

Also I think this is gentle reminder about how to handle something we all deal with everyday – anxiety. In the end, this whole deal this morning is actually a small thing. I do have a 11ish appointment that I should be present in the office for, and I do need to get this laptop fixed, which again requires heading to the office, but in the end, being anxious and worrying will not help at all.

²² Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Luke 12 NIV

So, Stay Calm and keep hold of the Key!

Driving Lessons

Jason — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:02:48 +0000

Last night I took my oldest son out for his first real driving lesson. So off we went to the Battlefield so that we could tackle several kinds of roads with limited traffic. Phew, I couldn’t believe how tense and nervous I was in the passenger seat. He was doing a fantastic job for his first real driving experience, but dad on the other hand….

So, I spent some time trying to figure out where my anxieties were coming from. I mean, this wasn’t the ‘send him off for the first time’ type of experience or the ‘driving on a crowded road’ type of experience. I think this had to do with control, or the lack of control. It is an interesting experience as a parent to continue to loosen the hold of control and allow your children to go on their own way. It’s really quite a painful experience – in so many ways!

But I think this goes further then the control of the parent, this was really turning over control, and I think that is a problem that we all deal with. In this case, maybe it was justified, I mean this is a case of an experienced driver turning over control to an inexperienced driver, allowing the inexperienced driver to drive the vehicle directly into a tree or something. But in our lives, we want to keep control, when we are more then likely the inexperienced driver. The experience of the Holy Spirit sits beside us ready to guide us, if we allow control to move over to it. So here is a simple lesson for a Friday.

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

New International Version (NIV)

That’s correct give it over to Him, allow him to worry for you and there is a great deal of peace waiting for you!

That’s a pretty good bit of driving advice, and a great conclusion from the first of many driving lessons.

A Riddle About Time

Jason — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 11:45:59 +0000

Well, let me first apologize for no email yesterday. There was a post, but as you can see from the post, I was in an awkward spot when I was composing that one, plus I was posting later in the day. As things were turn out I was unable to change the email delivery time remotely. But I am connected again today.

And today my time started on the wrong side of the day, or I should say my clock thought it was the evening when I needed it to it to think it was the morning – all of that riddle to say I am rushing just a bit this morning, as I head off for a remarkable day of discussing the merits of process modeling.

Anyway, I think if you subscribe by email you will get a double dose today, so make sure you check out both. And if on this ides of June you are rushing around as I am take a moment and consider this verse.

¹⁹ When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy. Psalm 94:19 New International Version (NIV)

Mobile Liberation

Jason — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:53:01 +0000

Yesterday I traded in my old Windows Mobile Phone for an iPhone, and immediately I felt like I have been released from the throws of mobile phone captivity. This iPhone is so easy to use, so nice to read, and just so, well, so freeing. Gone are the days of a user interface that was odd, a misbehaving ‘touchscreen’, and the limits of only having access to limited applications. I want to shout from the mountaintops, or maybe just tweet it and post it to Facebook!

Yes, freedom. When bonds are released and new limits are opened it is such a fantastic feeling. The feeling of freedom and the joys of freedom are something I write about quite often - because it is so nice. However, when it comes to spiritual freedom, sometimes, we want to stay in our bondage. But look at this, the creator of the world says, give me your bondage:

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 New International Version (NIV)

This spiritual liberation, that comes oddly enough though a complete surrender is a really good thing. It makes the joy of the iPhone look like the joy you can get from a lead balloon.

Cast you anxiety on him and enjoy freedom. (oh , and then tweet about it!)

11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:11 New International Version (NIV)

The Ever Changing Schedule

Jason — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:17:55 +0000

Well, I thought today was a work from home focus on work sort of day, but with a quick 15 minute phone call, an examination of my calendar and a sleepy teenager, my day has completely taken a new direction. I even had a great idea for a post today which the changing direction of the day pushed off to later.

It’s days like this when I can tell my patience and ability to listen to God are tested. I start thinking about me and “all the stuff I have to do” and how inconvenient these changes are etc. It’s so easy to get into a position where the world revolves around you and then “boom” the hammer drops and you are in a the place that you didn’t want to be. Maybe its a little road rage, maybe it’s a quick hurtful word to a co worker, maybe it’s just not thinking about others correctly.

It’s days like this I go back to an old favorite in my mind.

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:25-34, New International Version, ©2011)

one of THOSE days

Jason — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 12:54:34 +0000

It’s not even 9 in the morning, I already feel like quitting for the day.

You ever have a day like that? From the moment the alarm goes off things just are not “on frame” – as they say in soccer. You can’t find stuff, teenagers are doing their best at being, well, teenagers. Then there are schedules, pressure, etc etc etc etc.

Today’s one of those days. So I am trying to slip in a little bit of motivation for myself ( and you) before I get whisked away in the land of endless emails.

So, a few verses I am trying to consider today, to reduce the anxiety and refocus my brain:

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 ESV

But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded. 2 Chronicles 15:7 ESV

and then there is this one below. This is a verse that most of the time we may not attribute to encouragement on a difficult day. However I find it both humbling and full of purpose. It seems to emphasis the only task for the day that really matters and provides a little bit of clarity about the things that are causing stress.

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24 ESV

If your day has started like mine, spend a moment to recenter on the one mission and goal for the day – “the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”

So Much To Do, So Little Time

Jason — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:33:13 +0000

There’s a children book called Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. This book has been made into a cartoon, that my guys used to watch when they were little. I am sure Amy still shows it in the classroom. Anyway, in the beginning of the story, the parents are going around the house singing a song that goes something like “Some much to do, so little time in the morning…” Amy and I still sing that a lot as we bustle around in the morning trying to get “stuff” done.

And that’s especially me this morning. Between coaxing a teenager to get ready for school, watering the garden, running, picking tomatoes, showering, ironing clothes, reading email, paying bills, and talking Fantasy football with Andrew I am plum give out and its not even 9 am! Phew.

I am sure y’all have days like this as well, and these are days when this stuff can crush our spirit. I have already caught myself this morning, feeling this self induced anxiety coming over me, and knowing that whoever crosses my path better watch out. That’s not good. It’s day’s like this we need to remember things like this:

¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 (New International Version)

He’s in control, and he’s the one that we can can find peace in. So if you find yourselves like me today – just a little frazzled. Be still for a few moments, focus on Him and see what a difference it makes.

I know, I feel better and ready to head off for a day of cubical warfare!

The Prodigal Kitty

Jason — Fri, 28 May 2010 11:57:53 +0000

Almost every morning when I awake I look at on my back porch I find one of our cats sitting in the corner of the porch sleeping. It’s usually Todd, the cat that likes us. But today it was Bruce, the traitor. We call him that because he spends more time at the neighbor’s house, in the neighbor’s garage and eating the neighbor’s food then doing the same on our side of the street. The “crazy cat lady” across the street has him under her spell. So it brought me great joy to see him willingly sleeping on our porch this morning. The prodigal had come home.

So I sat on the edge of the bed willing myself to get up, looking at Bruce and thinking about our own lives. I wonder if the joy I felt this morning is similar to the joy that God feels when we willingly give ourselves to him. And I wonder if the jealously and anger I feel when I see Bruce partaking of the temptation that the crazy cat lady has to offer doesn’t some how parallel to the jealously and anger the God must feel when we decide to strike out on our own and indulge ourselves in our own ways.

For me this had been a bright spot in a morning filled with anxiety as I try to figure out how to accomplish 48 hours worth of activities in 8 hours. Maybe I should learn something from Bruce, and stretch out on God’s back porch, let him handle the stress and bask in the light of his joy.

⁸Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:8

Have a great Holiday weekend. Stay close to our God and Savior.